


I'm here, pal

by KateSmithNoble



Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Bucky takes care of ill Steve, Caring, Fluff, M/M, also poor steve his disabilities are so huge, it's my favourite trope for those two, just caring fluffy stuff, tw: chronic illness, tw: disability, tw: panic attack
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-22
Updated: 2018-03-22
Packaged: 2019-04-06 13:53:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,835
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14058402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KateSmithNoble/pseuds/KateSmithNoble
Summary: Bucky is caring and worries about Steve a lot. He discovers a new procedure that could help him. And he talks him into it.





	I'm here, pal

**Author's Note:**

> Honestly I stumbled across this post http://thoscheiongallifrey.tumblr.com/post/172130781095/chronically-ill-steve-rogers and could't help but imagine what could happen.  
> I went googling and discovered that the turnbuckle cast treatment was invented in 1931 by Dr.Risser in New York. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2816759/ )  
> Those two were there and for me it's logical they would at least try. And I had this in mind.

The newspaper rustled in the wind at the docks, when Bucky turned the page. He was squinting at the tiny letters smudged through the sweat of the many workers who had read the paper before it got to him. Most articles were boring and he was about to pass it along when his eyes fell on a small article considering a new medical procedure. His eyes widened a bit when he realized what it was about. There was a lot of scientific stuff but he got something out of it.

There was a way now to maybe help Steve with his back problems.

Excitedly he ripped the small article out, put it in his pocket and checked there also for some change. He needed to make the call as soon as his shift was over.

* * *

  
„Buck, no we can’t afford doctors, you know that“ protested the skinny blond across the kitchen counter while still stirring the soup on the stovetop. „It costs nothin’. I talked to ‚em! Just give it a go.“ Bucky sighed slightly annoyed. It had cost him a lot to get that appointment for him, but more importantly he couldn’t let something like this go when it could mean Steve would be in less pain. He got up from his chair and closed the distance between them.  
Frowning he crossed his arms and leaned back against the counter.   
„Look Stevie. It’s just a supporting shirt with buckles. It looks like those things dames have beneath fancy dresses. It worked for others with the same back problems. Com‘ with me tomorrow, please“

Steve looked up at his best friend and shook his head. Well, he didn’t complain anymore verbally so it was progress. „It will look stupid and I don’t like things too tight around my chest, you know that.“  
„Sure, pal, but it’s worth a try. What if it can help you? „  
Can I stop anytime?“   
„Sur’ ya can“   
„Okay“  
„Okay, as in okay you do it?“  
„Yeah, sure Buck why not. It seems important to you“  
„Yeah because you are.“ Bucky said looking down at the other. He felt like shrugging or clearing his throat in order to make the conversation less emotional, but he was glad he didn’t. Steve smiled fondly up at him, his eyes a bit too knowing for his liking.

„We gotta be there at five after my shift“ he informed Steve and earned a nod from his short friend: „Okay. Com’on let’s eat that soup before it gets cold“.

* * *

  
The university wing they had the appointment at was large and complex. They had to ask for the way to the study about five times. Many nurses exchanged smiles and gave directions to Bucky in a rather flirty way. He always introduced Steve, but their attention was mostly on him. He liked them a bit less for it.

Steve pushed his hands into his brown trousers as they walked down the white hallway to the room of a certain Doctor Risser. He was cold and uncomfortable. He visited hospitals only when he had no other choice except dying, so obviously he didn’t like it. The smell was the worst part.  
He moved a bit closer to his friend. Bucky’s smell was nice. He smelled like linen and honestly sweat, but he didn’t mind. He smelled like Bucky and that was what mattered.   
Steve relaxed a bit.

‚Examination room 226‘

The sign was placed right next to a white door. Bucky knocked and opened it when a male voice called them in. Inside the room they greeted the doctor sitting behind the desk. „Sit down please. I’ve heard about your conditions, Mr. Rogers. I would like to help at least with one if you agree to participate in this study“ Dr.Risser said with a broad smile. He was nice.   
„The procedure is relatively simple. Your spine is not in the right position and we want to coarse it back into it with a cast. It will immobilize you for a while, I’m afraid.“

Bucky leaned forward at that frowning „You didn’t mention that on the phone, Doc“   
„My mistake“ the Doctor answered still looking at Steve. It was his decision to make.  
„How big will be the pressure on my chest, Doc?“ asked Steve looking down at his wobbly knees. He was already tired and his knees hurt from all that walking.   
The Doctor leaned back in his chair, considering the question: „Well I can’t tell you that, but it’s not nothing. We could try to put on the bandages and then you will see. You can still tell if you don’t want to proceed.“

Steve ran his hands over his hurting knees. His back was killing him even when he sat completely straight. It’s not like he would mention it. Pain was a part of him. Every day, constantly in the background. He didn’t sigh anymore when he slowly got up, like every person would with those pains. It was just there, but if there was even a slight chance he could get rid of even 1% he needed to take the chance.  
„Okay, Doc“ he answered and turned to Bucky on his side, giving him a smile meaning ‚I will be alright, you know me’

They all got up and the doctor invited them to follow him into the adjacent room.  
A nurse with a little white hat, red lipstick and lovely bright brown eyes asked Steve to remove his shirt.   
„No lady asked me that before. I’d be glad to“ Steve remarked, which produced a slight chuckle from Bucky, who was standing and watching from the corner of the room.  
„Now, don’t get flirty with me, love.“ She answered with a little wink.   
The skinny blond plucked his shirt out of his pants, unbuttoned it and pushed it off his bony shoulders.   
Immediately he started to shiver and even Bucky could see the goosebumps on his back. T

he Doctor stepped up and ran his fingers down Steve’s spine, stopping when the vertebrae turned sideways. It wasn’t the worst he had seen during the study, but it still was significantly wrong. „On the scale from 1 to 10, in how much pain are you right now?“ He asked, with a calm voice and a new found respect for the little man. „6. It’s okay really. It’s a good day“ responded Steve, trying to ignore Bucky’s displeasured rumble.  
He stopped answering that question when it came from Bucky long time ago.   
His friend worried too much.   
He made him tea with a lot of honey when he had asthma attacks, bought him glasses so he could read and slept with him in his bed during the winter so he wouldn’t freeze to death. A smile appeared on Steve’s lips remembering how close they were the last time it was below 10degrees outside. Bucky had hugged him and kept him pressed close to his chest the whole night. Snored loudly into his ear, but it was the ear he was partly deaf on so it didn’t really matter.   
It was nice.   
Warm.   
Relaxing.   
_Loving_

He turned his head to Bucky and saw that worry. It was like his friend was feeling his pain now. „I’m okay, Buck“ he said to him.   
„Sure…“ the brunet answered, crossing his arm.

The nurse came up with the bandages and handed it to the doctor. When he put the first end on Steve’s skin he gasped. It was slick and cold. Right beneath a cast the put bandages with vaseline to prevent his skin from sticking to the cast. As they started to wrap it around him Steve looked straight ahead, concentrating on his breath.   
In and out.  
In and out.

Obviously anything that was restraining his airflow produced panic in him, so he needed to force himself to be calm. When the doctor tightened the bandages around the bend in his spine to push it into the right direction, Steve let out a pained groan, his eyes pressing together in agony.   
Bucky immediately was at his side, a hand on his cheek and the other on his shoulder in case his friend started to faint. It wouldn’t be the first time   
„Steve? Breath. You need to breath, pal“ he said softly to him, ignoring the nurses surprised look.   
She hardly ever saw men expressing intimacy like this. It made her…well at least close to uncomfortable. Mainly because she had flirted with both of them before and now couldn’t tell if she misinterpreted something before.

Steve opened his eyes, when the pain lowered to a mere 8, but his breathing was wheezing and his heart was racing.   
The pressure on his chest was too much, he already knew it.

„Buck?“ He brought out, his voice weaker than before.

He slumped forward a bit and let himself being supported by the other’s hands.

„Yeah Steve. I’m here. You want to stop? You don’t have to do this. You tried.“ answered Bucky, much quicker, holding his friend’s weight with ease.

The blond nodded, closing his eyes and trying to get his wretched palpating heart to slow down.

The nurse quickly gathered herself and grabbed the surgical scissors from the table. „Here“ she said, pushing it into the doctor’s hands. The bandages came off quickly after that.

Once his chest was free, Steve took a big deep long breath, stepping more into the other, until his forehead was resting on Bucky’s chest. „Just gimme a moment…“ The doctor said something to them, smiled and left with the nurse. They would talk to him later.

Bucky’s hand moved to Steve’s hair, gently stroking through the soft locks. He kept still and kept his breathing steady and slow like he knew Steve considered to be calming. The blond’s breath slowly returned to normal. He was listening to Bucky’s heartbeat, concentrated on his smell and even placed a hand on Bucky’s chest to ground himself through him.

„Let’s go home“ Bucky said softly, stilling his fingers in Steve’s hair.

„Yeah“

* * *

 

They went home and had more soup.

  
Steve fell asleep sprawled across Bucky’s chest immediately after the dinner.

He had asked him shyly to come take a nap with him, because he didn’t feel like being alone and he was cold.

Bucky didn’t even bother to answer, just laid down on his bed and spread his arms in a theatrical move with a grin on his face.

Steve relaxed, rolled his eyes and laid down in that embrace. He slept through the night.

Bucky stroked his back at the point it was wrongly bent, breathing in the smell of Steve’s hair and wondered if Steve will ever be able to have a day without pain.   
Oh god he wished he could give him that. Until then he would do this. Or maybe forever. It felt good so it wouldn’t be the worst option either. He liked it a lot actually.

Eventually he fell asleep as well. Snoring and comfortable having Steve safe in his arms.


End file.
